Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #PYD

Using an #America-centric lens to criticize #Turkey for making national security judgements based on a #Turkey-centric lens is analytically dubious.

Whether we like it or not, #Turkey has fought a 40-year #PKK insurgency & sees the #PKK as its No.1 national security threat.

https://twitter.com/ForeignPolicy/status/1185356141565530113

#pt: And FWIW, using Aldar Khalil as the sole source to claim that the #PYD-#PKK relationship is solely defined by "intellectual lineage" & 'sympathy with one another's political goals' is analytically disingenuous.

Perhaps instead read the #PYD itself:

https://twitter.com/Charles_Lister/status/1006226766833291264

#pt: If the #PYD's very own website (deleted - but archived - after teaming up with the U.S. military in 2014) wasn't enough, take the public assessments of U.S. government's dedicated National CounterTerrorism Center (part of the Intelligence Community):

https://twitter.com/Charles_Lister/status/701451967692845056

Jamal Elshayyal جمال الدين الشيال

Beyazıt Karataş

@BeyazitKaratas

1) #ABD, #Münbiç'den sonra sadece #Suriye'nin Kuzeyinden değil, #Fırat'ın Doğusu'nda bulunan üslerinden, radar mevzilerinden, kara gücü olan #PKK #PYD #YPG'den de vaz geçiyor++

2) #ABD, #Suriye'den geri çekilirken yani "#Ricat" ederken sözüm ona #barış ve #demokrasi getirmek için işgal ettiği ülkede kurduğu üsleri tahrip ederek veya taşıyarak, arkasında kan ve gözyaşı ile yıkık bir ülke bırakarak kaçıyor++
#BarışPınarıHarekatı
#KızılcıkSopasıHarekatı

3) #ABD'nin kara ordusu, bebek katili, piyonu, kullanışlı oyuncağı ne derseniz deyin #PKK #PYD #YPG kendisini kurtarmaya gelen sözde "#ABDSüvarileri" #AmericanCavalry tarafından çalınan #Ricat" borusu ile bir kez daha satılmıştır++
#BarışPınarıHarekatı
#KızılcıkSopasıHarekatı

Read 12 tweets

Tim Hogan

@TimInHonolulu

1. Now that #Assad has restored his regime's jurisdiction over the Al-Hawl camp I will not be surprised if they conduct Iraq style trials and execute all the male fighters. Maybe all the women too. Who knows? And Al-Baghdadi in Badia desert should be worried. @RTErdogan @POTUS

2. Assad has just recovered all the light sweet crude oil and gas fields on the east bank of the Euphrates.

Fun Fact: two days ago the US conducted an air strike on Iranian/Regime forces in Deir EzZor. @barbarastarrcnn I'm betting you didn't know. @ckubeNBC @LindseyGrahamSC

3. I really don't blame the #PYD for ending the relationship with the US. @SecPompeo has allowed them to be called terrorists and never once stood up for them. If Russia and Assad are smart they will show some grace and provide the PYD the limited autonomy they wanted

Read 5 tweets

@JamalsNews

Some important facts when reporting on #TurkishArmy operations in #Syria:
•The #YPG has ethnically cleansed several cities of their Arab inhabitants as documented by @amnesty & others
•ISIS has carried out many terroris attacks inside #Turkey including 2016 Airport, 2017 NYE

•As with every war, each side pushes its own propaganda. The #PYD/#YPG have previously used images that were proven to be either doctored or from other countries
•#Turkey says main aim is to create safe zone &go after “terrorists” but #OperationPeaceSpring has other motives too

•These include economic benefits from construction projects + others in post-conflict #Syria
•The issue of refugees has become a toxic electioneering one domestically in #Turkey. There’s a belief that by reducing their number Gov popularity will increase.

Read 9 tweets

Filomena Rocha

@Filomen03258997

46. The Legacy of US, UK, France, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Bahrain, Canada, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Australia, Jordan, Nato in Syria
#RegimeChange #FakeNews #FalseFlag #terrorism #SyriaInvasion #WarCrimes #CrimesAgainstHumanity

1 to 20. The Legacy of US, UK, France, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Bahrain, Canada, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Australia, Jordan, Nato in Syria 🤨👇🏼
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1136642…

21 to 40. The Legacy of US, UK, France, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Bahrain, Canada, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Australia, Jordan, Nato in Syria 🤨👇🏼
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1164175…

Read 613 tweets

I've made my thoughts clear on how *bad* #Trump's decisions have been for #Syria policy (& the #SDF).

But let's just get something straight:

- The U.S. knowingly decided to ally with a designated terrorist organization (the #PYD/#YPG) in 2014 to fight #ISIS in #Kobani & beyond.

#pt: The State Dept, NCTC & CIA all viewed the #PYD as the #PKK's #Syria affiliate in 2013 -- that's in public documents.

That label was [quietly] removed in 2014.

In #Turkey - a #NATO state, whether we like it or not - the #PKK is viewed as *the* existential security threat.

#pt: #Turkey was complicit in terrible #Syria border control & ties to #Nusra. No doubt.

But put that aside for minute:

Imagine if a foreign state brought #ISIS to #Mexico & armed it to fight cartels, while assuring #Washington: "don't worry, they're only interested in Mexico."

Read 8 tweets

Filomena Rocha

@Filomen03258997

41. The Legacy of US, UK, France, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Bahrain, Canada, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Australia, Jordan, Nato in Syria
#RegimeChange #FakeNews #FalseFlag #terrorism #SyriaInvasion #WarCrimes #CrimesAgainstHumanity

Read 237 tweets

Kyle Orton

@KyleWOrton

It's not even surprising that the @WashingtonPost provides space to terrorists any more.

Cemil Bayik, the #PKK leader, has an op-ed in today's paper calling for "peace" with #Turkey. It's a skilled piece of propaganda. washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/… <thread below>

Bayik notes #PKK was "born in 1978 [and] launched a guerrilla war in 1984". In that gap, the PKK, which spent all its time in #Turkey fighting the Left and other Kurds, moved to Syria and Lebanon to be built into an army by the #Soviets, using #Asad and the #PLO as cut-outs.

#PKK leader Cemil Bayik in his WaPo op-ed skips over the return to violence by the #PKK in 2004 entirely, and then misrepresents how the second ceasefire broke down in 2015, blaming #Turkey. In fact, the PKK murdered several policemen, claiming it as "revenge" for an #IS attack.

Amid #Assad regime offensive in south #Syria, worth bearing in mind its continued bombing of areas in #Idlib - also under a so-called “de-escalation zone.”

Having watched the southern zone dissolved w/o response from #Jordan or #Israel, #Turkey’s now warning #Idlib = “red line."

#Turkey has deployed its own armed forces to x12 “observation posts” fencing in opposition areas & enforcing de-escalation.

#Russia seems invested in stability in #Idlib - but for how long?

After #Deraa, will #Assad & #Iran destroy the last remaining “de-escalation zone”?

For now, expect periodic regime bombing raids & notably, also ‘spoiling’ attacks by fighters unrestrained by #Turkey’s iron grip.

#HTS will remain internally divided on de-escalation -- the more regime bombings, the heavier the pressure for #HTS to respond = #Assad opportunity.

Read 26 tweets

Riam Dalati

@Dalatrm

Thread about #SDF #Efrin's #IRGC/Regime Connection: #Katerji Group awarded "Oil Contract" in SDF areas.
So the #PYD/#YPG are about to lose #Manbij following yet another #US abandonment.
This would be a major loss of business tax revenue following the #Turkey takeover of #Efrin.

Because of the war in #Aleppo, most small and medium-sized factories relocated to #Efrin & exported their product (mainly ready-wear & shoes) to regime and rebel areas. They paid lower taxes to the Democratic Autonomous Administration compared to official #Syria gov rates.

The #Katerji Group, owned by MP Hossam Katerji & his brother, is among the major beneficiaries. Also a shipping business, KG shipped grain and oil from SDF areas in NE Syria to regime areas and transported goods from/to #Efrin.
KG were also made famous dealing with #IslamicState

Read 8 tweets

It’s extraordinary just how much BS gets created in people’s minds.

I never once expressed “support” for #Turkey’s #Afrin operation.

- Did I say it was inevitable? Yes.
- Did I observe it & comment on its advance vis-a-vis broader #Syria dynamics (i.e. my job)? Yes.

https://twitter.com/MinhajAkreyi/status/1005149855092600833

My critique has always been about the imbalance/s created in northern #Syria by U.S. counter-#ISIS policy.

The #YPG was/is the #PKK - all U.S. officials admit that in private. That didn’t necessarily have to preclude working with them, but ignoring it caused big, big problems.

#pt: As an analyst of terrorist groups, I did see a certain irony & short-sightedness in the words of one top, serving U.S. official, “allying with a terrorist group (#PKK) to fight another terrorist group (#ISIS).”

It’s got nothing to do with any position on #Kurds, whatsoever.

The logic driving this “humanitarian” narrative is riddled with inaccuracies & contradiction.

1. @MaxBoot says we should “let #Assad win,” but that at the same time, the U.S. should “stand with” the #SDF in 25% of #Syria (the northeast) -- how does that work, exactly?

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by @Charles_Lister view original on Twitter

2. The author also says U.S should “cut a deal” w. #Erdogan, in which “the #YPG will sever all support for the #PKK” … [despite the vast majority of #PYD/YPG leadership being long-time PKK/KCK veterans.]

Speak to anyone who regularly visits #SDF in NE - PKK calls the shots.

3. The author also links recent pictures of #Aleppo’s public park to compare “2016 charnel house” to 2018 "civilians strolling through its rebuilt public park.”

Except the park sat in regime-held territory & was barely touched in 4yrs of war. How does conquered east Aleppo look?

Tim Hogan

@TimInHonolulu

1.@Evan_McMullin. #Pompeo discussed terrorism w/SVR GRU & FSB? Trump betrayed US #Kurdish allies #SDF for Putin & Assad. My CIA FOIA. We betrayed folks who defeated #ISIS & allows #Erdogan to slaughter #Afrin #Kurds. So far. #SDF @FoxNews @francesmartel @OIRSpox @FBIHonolulu @CIA

2. To explain, the Wayback captured the @CIA page about #Syria where there were no domestic terrorist listed on January 28, 2018. Ex A. I concede that a story I read yesterday, that I will search for to give accreditation, found this. As you can see, Ex B shows added PYD entry.

3. Here's Thurs DOD presser. At 3:34 and later 6:31 discussions of Afrin. At 27:42 AA reported says rockets fired in then the general says "if the PKK attacks Turkey." There are no PKK in Turkey. He must know that. We need to say if PYD, SDF YPG and/or YPG are or aren't listed.